A 12-year-old girl from Perth will make her West End debut this Christmas – starring alongside acting legend Dame Maureen Lipman in London.
Chloe Boice will appear in the West End Does Christmas show at Cadogan Hall on December 19.
The role is a dream come true for Chloe, who has dreamed of appearing on the London stage since she was six.
Chloe, who goes to Kilgraston School in Bridge of Earn, will appear alongside Lipman and an all-star cast including Downton Abbey actor Julian Ovenden.
Chloe said: “From the age of six, I have dreamt about being on a West End stage so this is the best Christmas present ever.
“This will be my first trip to London, so my whole family – mum Susie, dad Gary and younger sisters Lily and Ella – are going from our home in Perth to the capital to stay while I rehearse and hopefully see some of the sights, including the London Eye.”
Chloe secured her part in the musical theatre production through performing arts
school Stage Box in Edinburgh, where she attends classes each week.
Mum Susie says that Kilgraston, an independent girls’ school, has helped to make her daughter’s dream a reality by accommodating her “hectic” rehearsal schedule.
Perth girl ‘lives for life on the stage’
She said: “Chloe regularly attends Front and Centre Musical Theatre
training weeks and, together with LAMDA musical theatre and acting grades taken
at school, singing with Perth’s Fair City Singers and the school’s choir.
“It is a lot to fit in, but she just absolutely lives for life on the stage.”
Chloe’s love of musical theatre started with Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s
performance of Scrooge where she played the lead role of Tiny Tim.
“That experience gave me confidence and even when I had lots of butterflies, everyone
encouraged me to keep going, which is so important,” she said.
Chloe is on a drama scholarship at Kilgraston, which helps her to combine academic
lessons at school along with the performing arts.
Her singing teacher, Coleen Nicoll, helped Chloe prepare for her audition for the West End part, where she performed Almost Nearly Perfect from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Dorothy MacGinty, head teacher at Kilgraston, said: “We have all taken such
pleasure in charting Chloe’s progress within the arts and are immensely proud of her
many achievements.
“Watching youngsters’ pursue their passion is what childhood should be all about.”
